This has generated a bit of a backlash in Oklahoma because the company moved there in 2004 to take advantage of tax credits offered by the state (something the company has previous dubbed “winning the ‘O-Prize'”). One state legislator, David Dank, told Tulsa TV station KOTV it was an “absolute sin” that the company had effectively abandoned the state. Lauer responded to the same TV station that the company was in “suspended animation until we get more money” and when that happened they would return to the state. (Back at Space Access Lauer estimated that they needed “well north of $100 million” of additional funding for Rocketplane Global.) Dank is unconvinced: “I don’t think they ever intended to launch a space craft from Oklahoma.”

2 comments to Rocketplane’s woes

Rocketplane most closely resembled some UN program to build water systems in Nigeria. A big impressive kick off meeting and then the locals steal all the money. Of course here the out of towners came in and stole all the money from the locals.

If Rocketplane wants to defend their claims, they should open up the books and check registers and show that all the money was well spent